Fix default aircraft repaints not showing in FSX by checking aircraft.cfg, texture folders, variation filters and boxed/Steam install paths.
Default aircraft repaints usually fail to show in FSX because the texture folder is in the wrong aircraft directory, its [fltsim.x] entry is missing or invalid, or the aircraft-selection screen is hiding variations. In FSX: Steam Edition, editing the boxed-edition folder—or another FSX installation—is another common cause.
How do I make a default aircraft repaint appear in FSX?
Install the texture folder inside the correct default aircraft folder, register it in aircraft.cfg, then enable aircraft variations in the selector.
- Find the active FSX installation. Open its
SimObjects\Airplanesdirectory and locate the folder for the default aircraft. Boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition use the same aircraft structure, but their installation locations differ. If both are installed, make sure you are not editing the inactive copy. - Confirm that the repaint matches the exact model. A texture set made for the default FSX Boeing 737-800, for example, will not work correctly on an unrelated add-on 737. The required default or expansion aircraft must already be installed.
- Place the texture folder at the correct level. A folder such as
texture.airlinemust sit beside the aircraft’s existingaircraft.cfg,model,panelandsoundfolders. Remove any unnecessary wrapper folder created while extracting the archive. - Add the supplied configuration block. Open the existing
aircraft.cfg, back it up, and paste the repaint’s[fltsim.x]block beneath the existing entries. Replacexwith the next unused number; do not leave the letter in place or duplicate another section number. - Check the repaint references. Copying a working block from the same default aircraft is often safer than using an old or incomplete readme entry. Change only the repaint-specific values such as
title=,texture=,ui_variation=and any callsign details. - Verify that the edit was saved. Windows may block changes inside a protected installation directory. Copy the file elsewhere, edit it, then replace the original with administrator approval if necessary. Confirm it remains named
aircraft.cfg, notaircraft.cfg.txt. - Restart FSX and show every variation. Open the aircraft-selection screen, clear restrictive manufacturer or aircraft filters, and tick Show all variations. FSX may otherwise display only one paint scheme for that aircraft type.
Our FSX livery folder and configuration walkthrough explains the complete installation pattern, including texture suffixes and section numbering.
Which aircraft.cfg entries can hide a repaint?
These aircraft.cfg values determine whether FSX can load the repaint and where it appears in the aircraft-selection menu.
| Entry | What it should contain | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
[fltsim.n] | The next unique section number | Leaving x in the heading or reusing an existing number |
title= | A unique aircraft title | Duplicating a title used by another installed variation |
sim= | The base aircraft’s .air filename without the extension | Using a value copied from a different aircraft |
model= | The correct model-folder suffix, or blank when the working default entry is blank | Referencing a model variant that is not installed |
texture= | The part after texture. in the folder name | Using texture=texture.airline instead of texture=airline |
ui_manufacturer=, ui_type= and ui_variation= | Menu names consistent with the working default entries | Placing the repaint under an unexpected manufacturer or aircraft type |
A mistake we see constantly is a correct texture folder combined with no [fltsim.n] entry. FSX does not discover a repaint merely because its folder exists; every variation must be registered in the base aircraft’s configuration.
Why does the repaint have no thumbnail or appear white?
A missing thumbnail and missing aircraft textures are separate problems from a repaint that is absent from the menu.
- No preview image: the repaint can still be selected and flown. Check for a correctly named
thumbnail.jpginside its texture folder. - White or incomplete aircraft: FSX found the variation, but one or more texture files or fallback references are missing. Follow our checks for repairing white aircraft textures and broken fallback paths.
- Distorted or misplaced markings: the repaint was made for a different model or texture mapping. Configuration changes cannot make an incompatible repaint fit the default model.
Can a default-aircraft repaint use its own Airplanes folder?
A repaint cannot normally be installed as a separate aircraft because it contains textures rather than a complete flyable model.
Put a texture-only repaint inside the existing default aircraft folder. Use a separate folder under SimObjects\Airplanes only when the download is a complete aircraft package containing its own configuration, model and supporting files; our complete-aircraft installation checks explain how to identify and place that type of package.